Keisha Lance Bottoms Becomes First Black Female U.S. Governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia gubernatorial election, leading a historic Democratic sweep of every statewide office and ending 24 years of Republican control.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state after defeating Republican Rick Jackson in Georgia's November 3, 2026, election. Bottoms won approximately 54% of the vote, overcoming a 5-to-1 spending gap against Jackson, a healthcare billionaire who spent over $200 million of his own money. Her victory ends nearly 24 years of Republican control of the governor's office.
Bottoms led a broader Democratic sweep of Georgia's executive branch, with women winning eight statewide races. This included Tanya Miller, the first woman elected attorney general, and Penny Brown Reynolds, the first Black woman elected secretary of state. Other wins included Josh McLaurin for lieutenant governor and Democratic gains that secured control of the Georgia House of Representatives for the first time in over 20 years, though Republicans maintained a narrow majority in the state Senate.
Bottoms campaigned on expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage to $15, and reducing costs for gasoline and essential baby products. In her victory speech, she referenced her great-great-grandmother, Betsy Peak, who was enslaved in Crawfordville, Georgia. Outgoing Governor Brian Kemp stated he would not call a special session for redistricting, urging Republicans to learn from the results. The shift in Georgia was part of a national trend where Democrats flipped several Republican strongholds, including Texas and Ohio, in a result viewed as a rebuke of President Donald Trump.
